Oliver & Company 2
by MewIchigoZoey
Summary: My version of an OAC sequel. OliverxOC. Plz r&r. It's better than it sounds, honest! Story abandoned...sorry folks. Inspiration and interest has left X.X
1. Chapter 1

XD Well I had a poll going on my forum about what story I should write next, and everybody wanted me to do one about Oliver and my OC, Starla. So behold my new fan fic! Also..since this is a movie Disney actually HASN'T made a sequel of yet, I decided to beat them to the punch by making this the sequel (in my fan world anyway) XD

So here's chapter one! I'm really sorry if anyone is out of character...I haven't watched O&C in a looong time. But I plan to watch it as soon as I can find it again XD

**Chapter 1**

Remember the stray kitten who befriended a street wise dog named Dodger, and his Gang of strays? And how later on, that same kitten was adopted by a little girl named Jenny, and eventually had to choose between a life at home, or on the streets? Or how he and his friends overcame the villainous Sykes and his two doberman pincers, Rosco and Desoto?

Well..That kitten is me. My name's Oliver. I live with a little girl named Jenny, a poodle, Georgette, and Jenny's butler, Winston. Every so often, I meet strays who want to hear about my life. But all they ever want to hear is the first part: How I met the Gang then later met Jenny, and went on that crazy mission with Dodger and the Gang to rescue her from Sykes.

What? Oh, I'm sorry. I guess nobody realizes that there's more to the story. So you never heard the second part? Well then I'll tell it to you. Excuse me? Where am I going to start? That's a funny question. I'm going to start where you think the story ends.

I had been living with Jenny for almost a month. One day, while Jenny was at school, something happened that would change life as I knew it...

---

"Hey kid, is the coast clear?" A white and brownish mutt asked, peeking underneath a taxi cab.

A bright orange striped kitten was crouched down low beneath it. His ears lay flat against his furry head as he peeked out cautiously, across the street. "Uhh..I don't think so, Dodger. He still looks pretty alert."

"Oh come on, man! I'm hungry!" Exclaimed a small, light brown chihuahua. "I need some chow!"

"I know, Tito. I know. Hold on, guys. I'll check again." the orange kitten said, peeking out from underneath the taxi cab again.

On the curb was a chubby man, known to the animals in New York City as Old Louie. He was known for one thing, and one thing only: His tasty sausages.

Strays often tried to swipe some of the tasty meat, but few succeeded, since Old Louie was constantly watching his surroundings. This is what Oliver, Dodger and Tito were doing right now. Trying to get a snack.

"How's it look now, Oliver?" Dodger asked, peeking out from behind the taxi to see for himself. "Not good." he answered himself. "We need some sort of a distraction."

"Yeah!" Tito said in agreement. "I say we send the cat in. He can scratch and claw that guy. While he's doin' that, we can grab the goods!"

Dodger smiled slyly, and nodded his head. "I like your idea, Tito."

Oliver came out from under the taxi cab, his ears held high, listening to the conversation. When he heard Tito's plan, he couldn't help but look nervous.

"Me-me? I'm the distraction?" he asked, uncertainty on his face as he swallowed hard.

Tito nodded. "Yeah! Your kind are the best at this kind of thing, kid! Trust your uncle Tito!"

Oliver looked at the chihuahua and raised an eyebrow, but nodded. "Uhh..yeah. Ok." he said, that hint of uncertainty still in his face.

Before he could leave, Dodger pulled the orange cat aside with a paw and whispered in his ear. "Don't sweat it, kid. If Louie gives ya any trouble, the Dodge has got your back. Alright?"

Oliver nodded his head, a smile forming on his face. "OK, yeah!" he said, sounding more confident than before.

The small orange kitten turned and ran across the street. He ducked behind a trashcan, only inches away from the sausage stand now.

The cat tried to form a plan. How would he keep Louie distracted long enough for Dodger and Tito to get the sausages? As he thought, he heard a sudden yell.

Oliver jumped and peeked out timidly from his hiding place and gulped. To the orange cat's surprise, another small kitten had gotten entangled with Louie.

The kitten was gray and white, with a bright pink ribbon tied around her neck. She was very skinny from what Oliver could see. In fact, the cat didn't look very healthy from the looks of it.

By now, Old Louie was going insane. "Stupid cat! Get outta here!"

Thinking quickly, Oliver grabbed the link of sausages hanging from the cart and ran back to Dodger and Tito, as fast as his little legs would carry him. "I got 'em, you guys!" he called.

"Way to go, kitty!" Tito praised the kitten, as he took a sausage and plopped it into his mouth.

"Not the way I planned it, but you did alright. For a cat." Dodger said coolly, as he too, ate a sausage.

"How'd you get them without Louie seein' ya?" Tito asked, his mouth full of meat as he spoke.

Oliver took a bite of sausage and swallowed before answering. "This other cat showed up, and stalled him. I don't know where she came from, but her timing was perfect." he said. "I grabbed the sausages and ran while Old Louie was still busy with her."

Before Dodger or Tito could answer, they heard another loud shriek. This time it was a cat's screech.

"Huh?" The two dogs and the kitten peeked out from behind the taxi, just in time to see Louie still wrestling with the grey and white kitten.

In a fit of rage, he suddenly grabbed her tail, making her shriek again, and with a monstrous roar, he flung her away. The kitten landed by the street at the end of the curb with a loud thud.

A small, weak mew was faintly heard over the traffic and people of New York.

Oliver, hearing the mew vaguely, turned to his friends.

"You think she's OK?" he asked, eyes wide.

"I don't think so man..that looked like a pretty bad landing." Tito said without thinking.

Oliver's fur raised up a little as this, and he suddenly ran out into the street, making his way to the kitten.

Dodger turned and glared at the chihuahua sitting by him. "Why'd you go and say that?" he grumbled, getting up and running after Oliver. "Hey Kid! Come back!" he called out.

Tito watched him run for a minute, then he hurriedly got up and ran after him. "Hey! Wait for Tito!" he called frantically.

When Dodger and Tito finally caught up with their friend, they found him sitting by the grey and white kitten. She was out cold by the looks of it.

"The poor little kid..." Oliver said out loud to himself. He turned to Dodger and Tito.

"Let's take her back to my place so she can rest." he said.

Dodger nodded his head. He reached down and picked the kitten up by the scruff of her neck, and gently placed her on his back.

Then they started for the place that Oliver called home.

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That's all for now! Review and tell me whatcha' think please:3


	2. Chapter 2

Here's the next chapter. Thank you to everyone who reviewed! Boy I hope I got all this right..me no can watch the movie yet cause I still can't find it...so I have to write the characters by memory.. X.X

teenchic2004: Thank you! I will keep writing as I get more ideas!

Anderson jr: Okay, and thank you!

Nightw2: Wow, thank you for such a nice review! I'm glad you think this is off to a good start, and even more happy that you think everyone's in character, because it's ahrd to keep them that way when it's been like, forever since I saw the movie. Hope you enjoy this update!

**Chapter 2**

After what seemed like ages, Oliver and his pals arrived at the mansion where he lived. Oliver led Dodger and Tito in through the cat door, which Winston had recently put up for the kitten.

"Okay, so far so good." The little orange kitten said quietly. "Now we just need to get to Jenny's room without being seen by Georgette."

The three friends quietly started for the stairs. Just as they were about to start upstairs, however, a fluffy lavendar poodle walked into the room and saw them. It was Georgette!

The poodle took one look at the friends, and her eyes stopped on Tito.

"Oh Alanzo, you've come back to me!" she said adoringly, taking the chihuahua by one paw and hugging him, practically squeezing him to death. "What took you so long?"

Tito coughed and gritted his teeth as he fought to break free from the poodle's grip. Finally he did, and the chihuahua flew right into a wall, landing near Oliver.

Tito groaned as he stood himself back up and took a deep breath. The tiny dog did a double take and frowned at Georgette.

For awhile, Tito'd had quite a thing for the purple poodle, but once he'd gotten her alone, he'd realized she wasn't the right girl for him. Then again, anybody who made him take a bath and wear a sailor suit and bow was the wrong girl in Tito's book.

The chihuahua shuddered as he caught Georgette giving him a big smile, showing off her sharp, pearly white canine teeth.

As Dodger and Oliver stood there, watching, with Dodger making sure to hide the cat on his back, an idea suddenly came into the brown and whiteish mutt's mind.

He turned to Tito and whispered in one of his big ears. "Hey Tito. I got a plan. Miss 6-time national champion is still sweet on you."

"Yeah? So?" Tito growled under his breath.

"So, you can be the distraction! Keep her busy until the kid and I get this little grey kitty upstairs."

"But-but I-" Tito sputtered, but it was too late. Dodger and Oliver were already heading upstairs.

"Yeah, sure. Make Tito do all the hard work!" Tito grumbled under his breath. The chihuahua turned back to look at Georgette, and he gulped, sweating nervously.

"Um..Hey there, Georgette. I..haven't seen you in awhile. Heh.."

"I thought I might never see you again, Alanzo. Why did you leave me?" The lavendar poodle replied. "You never come to see me anymore."

"Well..that's because. I, uhh.." Tito hesitated. "Listen, baby, we can't be together."

Georgette looked stunned, and even a little angry. "What? Why?!" she demanded.

"You-you're just not the girl I thought you were." Tito went on nervously. "I don't wanna dress up just so you'll approve of me. I can't be with you if you won't accept me as the stray I am."

Georgette loked hurt. "I thought you were willing to do anything for me." she said in a small voice.

"I want to make you happy, but I won't change myself. I can't help it if you don't like me how I am." Tito replied, still nervous.

Georgette stopped for a moment. "Can't we try to work it out, Alanzo? I really want this to work!"

Tito shook his head and looked down at his small paws. "I'm sorry, baby, but I can't be with you."

It was quiet for a moment, as the purple poodle sniffled a little. Nobody had ever dumped Georgette before, so this was something new to her!

Tito watched her face as it fell at his news, and his big ears lowered slightly. He hadn't meant to be cruel, but it was true. Georgette couldn't accept him, so he didn't want her.

"Please, don't cry." he said, moving a little closer to her. The chihuahua yelped in surprise at the poodle turned to him, growling angrily with her teeth bared.

"Nobody dumps Georgette!" she growled. "Nobody! Nobody!"

Tito backed up a little, his eyes getting wider. "Well, sorry, but I just did." he said, not realizing how this only made things worse.

Georgette grabbed a vase off a table and hurled it at Tito. He dodged, just barely avoiding the vase as it soared over his head and broke as it hit the wall behind him.

Tito swallowed hard as Georgette came closer to him, snarling angrily. Then he turned on his heel and ran up the stairs. "Dodger! Oliver! Wait for me, man!" he cried.

Georgette gave chase. Soon Tito found his friends by the door to Jenny's room.

"Don't let her get me! She's got anger management issues!" he said and cowered behind Dodger as Georgette approached them, grinning coolly.

"Excuse me, but have any of you seen Tito?" she asked with a phoney smile. "He and I need to talk."

Oliver and Dodger exchanged glances and both shook their heads. Unfortunately, Georgette noticed the tiny Chihuahua behind Dodger and she growled at him, making Tito gulp. "Ohhh man! She's gonna eat me!" he cried.

"No she won't!" Dodger said. "I won't let her."

Georgette glared at Tito behind the color mixed mutt and gasped in surprise. "You brought another cat home?!" she shrieked. "I thought I said one, and no more!"

Before Oliver or his friends could speak, the poodle spoke again. "This is absolutely unacceptable! I won't allow it! Just you wait until Jenny gets home, then you'll get it!" The purple poodle turned and stormed away in a huff.

Oliver, Dodger and Tito looked at each other, wide eyed. "What was that all about, man?" Tito said.

"Nothing. Georgette's just being Georgette." Oliver replied. He pushed the door to Jenny's room open with his paw.

"Come on guys. In here." he said, leading his two friends into his mistress's room.

"Where should I put her?" Dodger said, looking back at the little kitten on his back.

"The bed I guess." Oliver replied, climbing up onto Jenny's bed.

"Okay." Dodger grabbed the grey and white kitten by the scruff of her neck and flung her onto the bed.

The kitten awoke not long after, and glanced around as she sat up. "What..? Huh?" she frowned and rubbed her eyes with her paws. "Where am I?" she asked.

She saw Oliver beside her and nearly jumped a mile. "What the- Who are you and where am I?!" she cried.

Oliver smiled. "You're in my house. My name's Oliver. These are my friends, Dodger and Tito."

The grey kitten nodded with a small smile as she glanced around the room. Then her eyes grew wide and her fur stood up on end.

"Oliver...There are dogs in here!" she screeched.


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry for taking awhile to update...But we just found Oliver & Company last night, and while I only got to see half of it before bedtime, I saw enough to motivate me to write again, and to (hopefully) help me keep everyone IC. So now I'll just reply to all you reviewers, and we can get started. Sound good:)

Nightw2: Thanks a lot! I will try to keep updates coming as fast as I can :)

teenchic2004: XD Sorry. I wrote the last chapter from memory, and for some reason I had remembered her as light purple. But after seeing the mvie again, I see you're right. So thanks for the help. Now onto the chapter!

Anderson jr: Thanks! I was laughing, myself when I was writing that scene XD Here's an update!

Miss Chloe: Thanks! The way I've planned it, the rest of the Gang should appear later in the story. As for Dodger/Rita romance..I'll see what I can come up with :) Here's an update! And thank you, I'm glad you like the new kitty! I figured another kitten would be a nice twist to the story :)

**Chapter 3**

The grey and white kitten hissed at Dodger and Tito, as her fur stood up on end and she waved a clawed paw at them, trying to scare the two dogs away.

"Well she's sure friendly." Dodger whispered in Tito's ear and the chihuahua held back a laugh, nodding his head in agreement.

"Oliver, what's wrong with you? There are dogs in your house!" the grey and white kitten shrieked. "**Dogs**!"

Oliver tried not to laugh. "Uhh, yeah. I know. They're the friends I was telling you about. Dodger and Tito."

The smaller kitten looked at Oliver, wide eyed. "You're friends..? With dogs..?" she said in disbelief.

Oliver nodded. "Yeah, that's right." He looked in confusion at the kitten as her jaw dropped. "What's wrong?"

"Dogs aren't friendly, Oliver...They trick you into thinking that, then once they get you alone, they attack!"

Oliver looked back at his friends and frowned. "These dogs are nice! They saved my owner and I from some mean doberman before..Don't judge Dodger and Tito before you know them."

"That and we did save you from becoming road kill, you ungrateful kitty!" Tito exclaimed.

"We could've left you on the curb, you know." Dodger added, maintaining his cool attitude the whole time.

The grey kitten sighed. "OK..OK. I'm sorry." She offered a paw to Dodger and Tito. "Truce?" she said hopefully.

"Truce..I guess." Tito replied.

Dodger gave the grey kitten the thumbs up with a paw. "We're cool. So what's your name, kid?"

The grey kitten was about to answer when suddenly they heard a voice downstairs. "Georgette! Winston! Oliver! I'm home!"

Oliver jumped down from the bed and ran into the doorway. He peeked out, just in time to see Georgette smirk at him.

"Now you're going to get it!" she snarled, running down the stairs. "Jenny! Bark, bark, bark!" she barked.

The red haired little girl looked in surprise as the poodle ran down the stairs and bounded over to her, barking fiercely. "What's the matter, girl?" she asked.

Georgette jumped up and tugged on her skirt, trying to drag her up the stairs. "OK, girl. OK. I'm coming!" she said.

Jenny put her backpack down on the floor and hurried up the stairs, following behind the still barking Georgette.

Oliver heard this and he rushed back into the room. "Dodger, Tito! Georgette and Jenny are coming!"

Dodger glanced at Tito. "We'd better go then. Catch ya later, kid." he said, snatching up Tito by his headband and leaving through window, down the fire escape.

Oliver let out a sigh of relief. "Phew.." The orange kitten clawed his way back onto Jenny's bed, and lay down beside the grey kitten.

"Who's Jenny?" she asked.

Before Oliver could answer, they heard Georgette at the door, barking her head off. "What is it, Georgette?" They heard a voice ask.

The doorknob turned and Jenny walked into her room, looking around. "Oliver? Oh there you are!" she said, going to her bed and scooping up the little kitten in her arms.

She paused as she noticed the grey and white kitten on her bed, peering up at her with big, innocent eyes. She looked frightened. "Who's your friend?" Jenny asked Oliver. She let the orange kitten down and sat on her bed by the other kitten.

The grey kitten's eyes got big, and she backed up to the other end of the bed. "Here, kitty, kitty, kitty." Jenny said, trying to coax the kitten to come over.

Oliver walked over by his new friend and gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't be afraid. Jenny's my owner, and she's really nice!"

The smaller kitten looked at Oliver, trying to decide if he was telling her the truth or not. She decided to trust him, and the grey kitten slowly crept over to Jenny.

The red haired girl reached out and gently pet her head. "It's okay, girl..I won't hurt you." she said.

The grey and white kitten purred and purred as Jenny pet her. Oliver was right! His owner was nice. She moved closer, and Jenny picked her up. "You're such a sweet little thing." she said, cradling the kitten.

Oliver smiled as he watched from the bed. Then Jenny suddenly noticed how small the grey kitten was. She was very skinny, Jenny realized, as she held the kitten around the middle.

"You poor thing! You look half starved!" she cried. Jenny reached her other hand out and scooped up Oliver. "Well, we know how to handle that, don't we, Oliver?"

The orange kitten smiled and mewed in agreement as Jenny ran out of her room and down the stairs.

She passed by Georgette, who, seeing how her mistress was being so kind to the other kitten, snorted in disgust. Why wasn't she getting rid of that cat?!

Jenny went into the kitchen where she found Winston, putting away some groceries. "Hi, Winston. Look at this cat I found. Isn't she cute?"

Winston looked up from what he was doing, and he raised an eyebrow. "Another kitten, Jennifer? Where did you find this one?" he asked.

"She was on my bed with Oliver when I got back from school." Jenny replied, stroking the grey and white kitten. "She's half starved, so I'm going to give her some of Oliver's food."

"I don't think that's such a good idea." Winston objected. "If you feed that cat once, it will come back again and expect you to feed it again."

Jenny smiled at her butler. "Who said I was only going to feed her once? If Mom and Dad say yes, I plan on keeping her!"

"One kitten isn't enough for you?" her butler asked.

"Sure Oliver's enough for me, Winston, but come on. Just look at the poor little thing. She's so weak..I've got to keep her. I could nurse her back to health."

Winston's objections were getting weak by now. What was he supposed to do? The housekeeper shook his head and sighed. "Oh alright. You may call your parents and ask if you can keep this kitten too."

"Oh, thank you Winston!" Jenny cried.

She put some food into Oliver's bowl and put it on the floor for the grey and white kitten. Then she got a napkin and tied it around the kitten's neck gently.

"There you go." she said, gently stroking the grey kitty.

"I'm going to go call and ask about Starla right now!"

Winston looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Starla?" he asked.

"The kitten's name." Jenny replied. Then she ran out of the kitchen, saying, "I'll be right back!"

"Who's Starla?" the grey kitten asked as she sniffed the bowl curiously.

Oliver smiled. "That's your name." he said. "If Jenny gets to keep you, that's what she's going to call you." he explained, just as Starla had said, "I don't have a name."

"Now go on...eat!" Oliver urged the grey and white kitten.

Starla glanced back at Oliver. "Are you sure it's OK for me to be doing this? That's your bowl." she said.

Oliver gave a little grin. "Yeah. It is my bowl, but you need the food now more than I do, Starla." he said.

The grey kitten nodded her head slowly and began to eat. Her face lit up as she tasted the food, and she practically wolfed it down. It was obvious she hadn't eaten a decent meal in days!

Oliver smiled at her as he watched her eat. Just then, the door swung open and Jenny entered the kitchen again.

"Oliver, guess what? Mom and Dad just said I can keep Starla!" she said smiling. "As long as I do good in school." she added.

None of them noticed Georgette in the kitchen, listening to every word said. When she heard the grey kitten was going to live with them, the poodle snorted. "Hmpph!" she muttered, growling under her breath.

Jenny glanced down and noticed the grey kitten had almost finished the food. "Wow, you sure are a hungry little girl." she said with a chuckle.

She scooped her up in her arms and hugged her. "Want to join the family, Starla?" she asked.

Starla looked down at Oliver, and the kitten nodded her head. So she looked back at Jenny and mewed sweetly, licking her new mistress's cheek.

Jenny laughed and let Starla back down. "Now first thing's first, Starla. You're not very healthy, so I'm going to get you some more food." She paused, seeing Oliver. "I'll get you some food too, Oliver." she said, and the orange cat smiled.

Jenny put some more food into Oliver's bowl and put it down on the floor. Then she grabbed a small, white bowl and put food in it.

"Here you go, girl. This will have to be your bowl until we get you one." she said, putting the dish down by the little grey and white kitten. Starla batted a paw at the bowl curiously. Then, when she realized it was just a bowl like Oliver's, she moved closer and began to eat, her tail twitching contentedly.

Then Jenny left the room to go put her backpack away, since it was still on the floor. "I'll be right back, kitty." she said, seeing Starla try to follow her, but trip over the napkin around her neck and fall on her face.

The grey kitten mewed again as she got to her paws and walked back to her food, resuming her eating.

Oliver ate his food too, every now and then, stopping and glancing at Starla. He was so excited to have another kitten living in his home. This would be so much fun! He could show her all around, and then, maybe when she got a little better, he could introduce her to the Gang. Maybe, just maybe.

Oliver was snapped from his thoughts as a certain light blue poodle walked over to them and began to eat from her bowl.

She stopped and smirked at Starla. "Hellooo.." she said sweetly.

Starla looked up, and her fur almost stood up again as she realized another dog was talking to her. "He-hello." she replied.

"I hope you won't think me rude," the poodle continued, "But I just heard you are going to be living in my house, and I thought I'd tell you the rules."

Starla glanced up from her food and her back stiffened a little. "I..thought Jenny lived here." she said.

Georgette growled. "It may be Jenny's house, but everything below is mine!" she shouted.

"Sorry, sorry. I didn't know!" Starla backed up behind Oliver, who was glaring at the poodle.

"Georgette! This isn't only your house, it's Jenny's, mine and Winston's too! Now, it's also Starla's, so you'd better be nice to her!" he said angrily.

Starla peeked at Oliver, bewildered. Was he really standing up for her? It seemed so.

Georgette shot the orange kitten an amused look. Then she growled at Starla again. "Just remember, cat. Whatever I want, I get! And what I want, is not to see you around. Stay in Jenny's room and you'll be perfectly fine. Come down here to eat. But other than that, stay out of my sight!" she barked.

Starla gulped and nodded her head fearfully. "Y-y-yes, Ms. Georgette!" she stammered.

The grey kitten was still backing away, scared of the poodle. She wasn't aware of where she was until she smacked right into Winston, who was glaring at Georgette.

"Georgette, Starla is our new member of the family, and you need to treat her that way!" he said. "Otherwise...we'll have to put you out." he said, motioning outside.

Georgette's eyes widened and she shrieked. Be forced outside, where all the love sick mongrels of New York City would have access to her? Never! The poodle smiled feebly at the housekeeper and then meekly left the kitchen, her tail between her legs.

Winston reached down and picked Starla up off the ground. He brushed her off and pet her head. "Don't worry, kitty, Jenny and I won't let Georgette hurt you. It's no that she doesn't like you in particular, she just doesn't like cats." he said.

The housekeeper put Starla back on the floor and gave her a gentle shove. "Now go on, eat your food." he said, going back to his work.

Starla was all too eager to obey, and she hurried back to Oliver and her food. "I told you, dogs aren't nice to cats." she said, taking a bite of food.

Oliver smiled. "There's three kinds of dogs, Starla. There are dogs like Dodger and Tito, who won't hurt you. Then there's the dogs who will hurt you just because they want to. And then there's Georgette..She's a whole different, unnamed category."

Both Oliver and Starla laughed at this joke.


	4. Chapter 4

Woah! I got too many reviews to reply, so to thank you all, I'll just update with some more chapters XD Thanks everybody for being so patient!**  
**

**Chapter 4**

After Starla had finished her second serving of food, Jenny came in and announced they were going out shopping.

The grey and white kitten glanced back at Oliver, a confused look on her face. "Shopping? What does that mean?" she asked.

"You'll see!" Was Oliver's reply as he jumped into his mistress's arms, and she scooped the still confused Starla into her arms.

'Where are we going?' Starla wondered to herself. She soon found out, when they entered a store filled with pet supplies.

"Wow.." Starla said, glancing at the many shelves of pet food. "It's like I've died and gone to food Heaven!" she exclaimed.

Oliver snickered under his breath. Both cats watched as Jenny led Winston all over the store, grabbing things like a bowl, some toys and a blanket.

"What's all that stuff for?" Starla asked, watching as Winston paid for everything.

Oliver turned and smiled at the grey and white kitten. "It's for you, Starla." he said simply.

Starla looked surprised. "All that? For me? Wow..." she said under her breath.

Jenny smiled at the kittens as they were coming out of the store. "Okay, now we have one last stop to make kitties." she said. If you couldn't tell she was smiling from the look on her face, it was definitely obvious from the warmth of her voice.

Starla climbed up onto her new owner's shoulder and licked her cheek, purring contentedly. Their last stop was at a fancy store that sold expensive collars and tags.

"What are we getting here?" Starla asked, looking in wide eyed wonder at all the fancy looking pet collars.

She found out when Jenny lifted her up onto a glass counter and said, "I need to get a license tag for my kitty."

A store assistant appeared at the counter a few moments later, and eyed Starla. "Why don't you just get her a whole new collar?" she suggested, a slight hint of rudeness in her voice. "That bow looks old."

Starla looked at the ribbon around her neck and frowned. Ok, maybe it was a little old...but she still liked it! It was a part of her look!

Jenny paused. "I actually like the ribbon." she said. "It is a little old..but.." She trailed off, glancing around the store.

Jenny's gaze suddenly stopped on one particular collar. Actually, it wasn't a collar. It was a ribbon, like Starla's, except it looked newer, and there was a license tag hanging on it. That would be perfect for Starla!

"Excuse us a minute." Jenny said politely. She lifted Starla off of the counter and carried her over to the wall where the ribbon and license tag hung.

"What do you think of that, Starla?" she asked, lifting the kitten up to where she could see it. "Do you like it?"

Starla sniffed at the ribbon curiously. A smile spread on her face. This ribbon looked just like hers, with only a few minor differences. The grey and white kitten mewed happily, to let her mistress know that she liked this ribbon.

Jenny got the kitten's hint and smiled. She took the ribbon down and carried it over to the counter.

"Is that what you're getting, Jennifer?" Winston asked, eying the ribbon.

Jenny nodded. "Uh huh!" She turned back to the store assistant. "We'd like this one, please."

The assistant nodded. "Good choice. It looks the same as that one you have, just newer and...better in a way." she said.

After she had engraved Jenny's address onto the license, and Winston handed over the money they owed, Jenny picked up Starla. She took off her ribbon and began to gently tie the new one around her neck.

"Careful you don't make it too tight, Jennifer." her butler warned.

"Don't worry, Winston. I won't." Jenny replied.

Finally she finished, and let Starla down on the counter, smiling in approval. "How does it look, Starla?"

Jenny picked Starla up and held her in front of a mirror, so she could see. The kitten's brown eyes lit up in excitement at what she saw, and she licked her new owner's cheek over and over again.

Jenny laughed. "I think it's safe to say you like it." she said.

"Are we finished here, Jennifer?' Winston asked.

"Yeah, we can go home now." Jenny replied, holding her two kittens close. They went outside and got in their limo to head home.

--------------------------

Later that night, Starla watched as Jenny crawled into her bed. Oliver meowed and jumped up onto the bed with his mistress.

Starla cautiously climbed onto the bed and curled up in a ball next to Jenny. She sighed and closed her eyes to go to sleep. She hadn't been laying there for long when she heard a soft noise coming from Jenny.

The grey and white kitten got up to investigate, only to discover her mistress was snoring softly. Starla sighed and lay back down, but try as she might, she couldn't sleep. The bed was too soft, and she wasn't used to having a comfortable place to rest.

Starla rose to her paws again, only this time the sound of her license jingling awoke Oliver. The orange kitten watched sleepily as Starla jumped down off the bed. 'Where's she going?' he wondered to himself.

Yawning softly, Oliver got up and jumped off the bed quietly. Glancing around the room, he soon found his new friend curled up underneath the bed, and a small smile formed on his face.

Oliver remembered when he had been a stray, and had only been used to sleeping in uncomfortable places too. Yawning again, the orange kitten quietly crept underneath the bed toward Starla.

The grey and white kitten was sleeping peacefully, but she was still aware of a noise coming closer. Starla's ears perked up and she opened her eyes wide, trying to find the source of the noise.

She discovered it was her new friend, Oliver, come to keep her company beneath their owner's bed.

The orange striped kitten was curled up beside her, purring contentedly, already fast asleep.

Starla heaved an inward sigh and smiled, her eyes only half open as she lay her head back down and went back to sleep, purring in harmony with Oliver.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The days flew by for Starla. Everyday, she was made to gobble up two bowls of food at each meal. She really didn't mind. It was much better than living on the streets, where there was hardly any hope of getting a bite of food.

As time went on, Jenny began to notice a change in the grey and white kitten. She wasn't as skinny anymore. She was getting nice and healthy.

Jenny reached a hand down and stroked Starla's head lovingly. "I'm so glad you're looking healthier Starla." she said, smiling down at the little kitten. "At first I was worried you wouldn't pull through, but you've done great. Soon we'll be able to make it that you only need one bowl of food for every meal."

She giggled. "But for now..." she said as Starla finished off a bowl of food. She pulled out the bag of cat chow and put some more in the grey kitten's bowl. "Just eat what you can." she said, chuckling as Starla took one bite then stopped and fell over, apparently full.

_'That means I can take Starla to meet the rest of the Gang soon!'_ Oliver thought as Jenny walked out of the kitchen.

He decided to talk to Starla about it now. "Uhh Starla?" he said.

Starla turned back, surprised. She hadn't known Oliver was there. "Oh, hi Oliver!" she greeted. "What's up?"

Oliver cleared his throat, looking somewhat nervous. "I..uh...Hey, you remember those two dogs, Dodger and Tito?"

"Yeah why?" Starla asked curiously.

"There's more of them, and I thought I might take you to meet them. Don't worry though, they're all really nice!" Oliver added hastily.

Starla paused. Were they really as nice as Oliver said? Or had they tricked him into thinking that? She shrugged her shoulders. Oh well. If they were like Dodger and Tito, she had nothing to worry about..besides, she needed to get out of the house and exercise a little.

"So..would you want to go with me?" Oliver asked, bringing Starla back from her thoughts.

"Sure." Starla said. "When are you going?"

"I'm going tomorrow, while Jenny's at school." Oliver replied.

Starla smiled. "Ok then. I'll go." she said.

"Great!" Oliver said enthusiastically.

---

Soon Monday arrived, and Oliver and Starla watched as Jenny hurried about, getting ready for school. First she got dressed and brushed her hair. Then she brushed her teeth and went downstairs to get breakfast.

Both her kittens followed her down the stairs and into the kitchen. Jenny quickly gobbled down some toast then pulled out the kittens' bowls and put some food into them.

"There you go, kitties. I gotta run now. Bye!" she said, grabbing her backpack and running outside. Both cats heard the sound of tires screeching by their door.

Oliver chuckled at Starla's confused expression. "Don't worry." he said, "It's just the bus coming to take Jenny to school."

Convinced of this, Starla went back to eating. Once they had finished eating, Oliver turned to Starla, a bright smile on his face. "You ready to go meet the Gang?" he asked.

Starla smiled and nodded her head vigorously. "I sure am!" she said excitedly.

"Then follow me!" Oliver said, walking out of the kitchen.

Starla followed behind him as they headed toward the cat door and went outside. "Which way now, Oliver?" the white and grey kitten asked.

Oliver glanced around, then pointed his head in a direction. "This way! Come on! Oh, and be careful nobody steps on ya." he warned as they ran along the streets.

Starla nodded, though the orange kitten's last comment worried her. "O..Ok."

Oliver led her everywhere, from sneaking around under a stand of sunglasses to bolting in fear when a stray mutt came after them. Finally they lost the dog, and collapsed on the ground in exhaustion.

"This is no good.." Oliver said panting. "It's taking us too long with all these stops."

Starla nodded, also panting. "I know, Oliver, but what can we do? We're only kittens." she pointed out.

Oliver paused, thinking. He remembered the first time he'd met Dodger. The street smart dog had used every thing in the city to his advantage, but the most clever trick he'd done was riding on top of cars.

"That's it!" Oliver exclaimed, his face lighting up. "I know exactly how to make this trip faster. Follow me Starla!" he said.

Starla followed him but hesitated as the orange kitten jumped up onto a yellow taxi cab that was parked by the curb.

"Is it safe?" she asked. "I mean, have you done it before?"

Oliver paused. "Well, not me, but my friend Dodger has, and it's a real time saver!" he said. "Come on, I'll help you up!"

The orange kitten reached a paw down and helped the somewhat reluctant Starla onto the taxi with him.

"Now what?" Starla asked once she had regained her balance on the cab.

"Now we wait." Oliver replied. Both kittens sat on top of the taxi for a few minutes. Then they heard the sound of footsteps.

Oliver glanced down and saw a man opening the door to the taxi and he looked back at Starla. "Hang on tight!" he said.

Starla looked confused. "What? Why-" She was cut off as the taxi cab roared to life, and began to move.

The grey kitten screamed as she slid over the back edge of the taxi, not heavy enough to stay on herself.

"Hold on, Starla!" Oliver called out. He reached over and grabbed her bow in his mouth, pulling her up.

"Just hold onto me." he said, once his friend was back on top of the cab. "I won't let you fall again." he added, seeing the trembling kitten's fearful expression.

Starla wrapped her paws around Oliver's middle, not wanting to fall again. Little tears formed at the corners of her eyes, partially from how fast they were going, but mostly from her scary experience.

Oliver looked back at the grey and white kitten sympathetically. He felt bad that she was scared, but as long as she held to him he would keep her safe.

He glanced up ahead to see how much farther they needed to ride before getting off. Oliver and Starla were now approaching the other side of town, where Oliver had first met Dodger. They were almost there.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Alright, here's our stop." Oliver announced as the taxi cab stopped at a curb.

He glanced back at Starla and a surprised look appeared on his furry face. "Are..you Ok? Starla?"

The grey and white kitten's eyes were open wide and her fur was all messed up from how fast their ride had been. "Starla?"

Starla blinked and did a slight double take as she heard her name yet again. "I'm Ok!" she said quickly.

Oliver gave her a skeptical look but nodded his head. "Ok...Let's go. We're almost there." he said.

Starla started down off the cab, but her paw slipped, and she fell onto the sidewalk, face first.

"Starla, are you alright?" Oliver asked, quickly jumping down from the taxi cab and standing beside his friend.

Starla sat up and shook her head. "Yeah..I'm fine." she said. The grey kitten licked her paw and ran it over her ruffled up fur, smoothing it down. She fixed the hair tuft on her head and then smiled at Oliver. "Alright. Let's go!" she said, getting to her paws.

The two young cats resumed their journey.

---

After they had been walking for awhile, Oliver suddenly stopped. Starla, who was following him, didn't notice her friend stop until she smacked into him. The grey and white kitten rubbed her nose. "Hey Oliver, why'd you stop?" she asked.

Oliver looked back at her. "I thought I saw Dodger." he replied.

The two kittens scanned the crowd for him. All of a sudden, Starla called out, "I see him!" She pointed a paw.

Running through the crowd at break neck speed was the white and brown mutt known as Dodger. He had a row of sausages coiled around his neck as he ran.

Oliver and Starla soon found out why he was running, when Old Louie emerged from the crowd, face red from anger and yelling in madness as he chased after Dodger. "Get back here, pooch! Those are my hotdogs!" he screamed in rage.

"Run!" Oliver cried, realizing that Louie was coming their way, and didn't see them. The two kittens broke into a run, eventually catching up with Dodger. The mutt noticed them and said, "Hey cats. What are you two doing on this side of town?"

"We came to see you!" Starla replied.

Dodger nodded as they ran. "I see...Hey kid, I never did get your name." he said coolly.

"My name's Starla." The kitten answered.

"Starla, huh? Nice name. It suits you." Starla felt herself go a little red. "Come on cats. Let's get outta here." Dodger stopped running and let the two kittens climb on his back. "Hold on back there!" he ordered as he started to run, Old Louie's outraged shouts coming closer.

Finally, they lost their pursuer by hiding in a big card board box that was in an alley. Neither Oliver, Dodger nor Starla dared even breath until Louie had gone. When he finally did leave, all the animals heaved big sighs of relief.

"So you two came to see me, did you?" Dodger said as he led the cats out of the box.

Oliver nodded. "Yeah! Well, you see, Starla's feeling a lot better than she did when we first brought her to my house. So.." he paused to take a breath before going on. "I thought maybe we could take her to meet the rest of the Gang!"

Dodger smirked and looked at Starla. "You wanna go meet a bunch of mutts, kitty?" he asked, ruffling the hair up on Starla's head.

Starla groaned inwardly. She licked her paw and, for the second time in the past hour, smoothed her hair back down. "You bet!" she said in answer to Dodger. "Just as long as they're nice like you." The little grey and white kitten added hastily. "..Just as long as they don't chase cats."

"The Gang? Chase cats? Nah." Dodger gave a careless shrug with one shoulder.

It was then that Oliver decided to speak up. "So hey. Um..Are we going or what?"

Dodger turned to Starla. "What do you think? Can you handle the trip?"

Starla smirked at him. "Are you kidding me? All day I've been chased by a stray, almost fallen off a taxi cab and to top it all off, I was pursued by a red faced hot dog man." The grey and white kitten puffed her chest out bravely and shot her friends a smile. "I can handle anything!" she declared.

Dodger and Oliver's eyes met for a moment. It wasn't like Starla to act so brave, Oliver thought. Their adventure on the streets today must have really done something for her. That, and the fact that she wasn't scrounging around for food, hungry and weak helped!

The dog and orange kitten looked back at Starla. "Okay, kitty. If you say so." Dodger said with a smirk. He rose to his paws, and Oliver followed suit. "Follow me." The mutt said, starting out of the alley.

Starla followed eagerly behind Oliver. She was determined to prove that she could handle anything a dog could handle. With this in mind, Starla began to walk faster. In fact, she was so focused on her thoughts, the grey kitten began to stray away from her friends.

It wasn't until she heard Oliver's frantic shouts that she realized what was going on. The kitten screeched in fear as she discovered that she had walked out into the middle of a busy street. Starla shrieked and ducked down low as a bus came her way.

Luckily, the kitten ducked just before the bus could hit her. Heaving a shaky sigh, Starla raised her head slowly and glanced back as she watched the bus drive out of sight.

"Starla watch out!" Came another shout. Starla recognized it as Oliver's, but she didn't see him anywhere.

"Oliver, where are you?!" she cried, looking all around. She didn't even see the truck coming toward her.

"Starla! Duck!" Oliver cried again.

Starla finally noticed the truck, but it was too late for her to duck. The kitten closed her eyes and braced herself, but before she could be hit, Dodger, seeming to have come out of nowhere, suddenly darted in front of the truck.

He grabbed her ribbon and yanked her out of harm's way just in the nick of time. Then, moving as quickly as he could, the stray mutt carried Starla out of the street and dropped her onto the sidewalk.

The grey and white kitten sat up, trembling like crazy, remembering how close the truck had come to her. If it had not been for Dodger..Why she'd be...

"Starla what were you thinking?! You could have been killed!" Oliver cried, glancing worriedly at his friend.

Starla shook her head, trying to clear her mind of these dreadful thoughts. "I know...I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking, walking into the street like that." she said sheepishly.

Dodger rolled his eyes. "You _weren't_ thinking is what you were thinking." he said simply.

Starla looked embarrassed. "Sorry." she apologized again.

"Please try to pay more attention to where you're at, Starla." Oliver said suddenly. He threw his paws around her in a small hug. Starla had no idea why, but she blushed a little at this. "You're one of my very best friends, and I don't want to see you hurt!" The orange striped kitten added.

"So...are we still goin', or do you want to go home?" Dodger asked. He shifted his gaze so it was on Starla. "You've had quite a scare, kitty. It might be wise to head home."

Hearing this, Starla bristled. What was Dodger saying? That she was too big a wimp to keep going on? Was he calling her a fraidy cat?! The grey and white kitten pulled away from Oliver and gave Dodger a glare. "I'm not scared! Let's keep going!" she said.

Oliver frowned worriedly at Starla. "Are you sure, Starla? You don't have to do this today. Not if you don't want to."

Starla shook her head stubbornly. "Oliver, I didn't come this far to just quit. I'm not giving up. So let's go!" she said. The grey kitten lowered her voice. "Besides, I've got this feeling Dodger thinks I'm not strong or brave enough to get there. I've gotta prove I'm not a fraidy cat."

Hearing this, Oliver shrugged and sighed. "Ok, Starla. If you really want to do it, we'll keep going." he said.

Starla nodded her head and looked up at Dodger. "Alright, we're ready to continue." she said.

Dodger smirked, appearing impressed that the kitten wasn't backing down, in spite of her frightful experience. Maybe she had some back bone in her afterall. Maybe.

"This way, kitties." he said, as the three animals resumed their journey, this time making sure Starla walked in between both of them. They did not want another incident where Starla almost got hurt..or worse.


	7. Chapter 7

So sorry not to update this! -bows head and sweatdrops- I feel bad, really. Just I haven't been in as much of an Oliver & Company phase as I thought...I'm not sure if this story will actually get finished...but I will upload the remaining chapters I had typed anyway, just to relieve my guilty conscience.**  
**

**Chapter 7**

"Here we are." Dodger announced as they arrived at a run down looking old boat. "Home sweet home."

Starla glanced around as they walked slowly down the steps into the boat. She hadn't expected the Gang to live in a place like this! She knew they were strays, but not even she had lived this bad when she was on the streets.

Starla suddenly became aware of yelling. She peeked out and saw Tito the chihuahua in a dog pile with a tan colored bull dog and a greyish great dane.

"Woah, cool it!" Dodger said. "If all you wanna do is fight, then I guess I'll eat these hot dogs by myself."

At the mention of food, all three of the dogs stopped fighting and their heads shot up. "Hot dogs!" they chorused.

Starla closed her eyes, seeing the three dogs coming at Dodger. But before they could get him, the mutt slid the sausages onto the ground, and his three friends eagerly dug into the food.

Dodger cleared his throat. "Ahem!"

The chihuahua, bull dog and great dane all glanced up. "What?"

"We have guests. Please save some food for them."

"Guests? Who is it?" Asked the great dane.

"Is it that cat, Oliver?" The bull dog asked.

Dodger smirked. "You're half right. It's Oliver, and his friend Starla."

The three dogs glanced at the grey and white kitten. "Hey I remember you!" Tito exclaimed, running over to Starla. "Hmm, you gained weight...I think." he said after he'd looked her over.

Starla laughed looking somewhat uncomfortable. Oliver looked in annoyance at Tito and whispered in his ear. "You should never say that to a girl Tito!"

The chihuahua smiled sheepishly at Starla. "Um..sorry." he apologized.

Starla smiled a little. "It's Ok." she answered. "Apology accepted."

Dodger cleared his throat. "So, Oliver. Do you want to introduce your friend, or should I?" he asked.

Oliver stayed by Starla. "Oh, I'll do it!" he said eagerly.

Dodger nodded knowingly. "Ok. I'll get Rita." he said, walking away.

Oliver led Starla over to the bull dog. "Starla, this is Francis. Francis this is Starla." he said.

The bull dog gave a smile. "A pleasure to meet you, Starla." he said.

Starla smiled back. "Likewise." she answered.

Next, she was led to the great dane. "Einstein, this is my friend, Starla. Starla, this is Eintstein." Oliver said. He lowered his voice and whispered in the kitten's ear. "He's not the smartest of the Gang, but he's very nice."

"It's nice to meet you, Starla." Einstein said, giving a big, sleepy eyed smile. "Any friend of Oliver's is a friend of mine!" The great dane took her paw and gave it a slobbery kiss.

Starla giggled and pulled her paw away, wiping the dog slobber off. Then Einstein nudged a half eaten hot dog over to Starla. "Here, take it miss Starla." he said.

"Oh..thank you Einstein!" Starla said.

"There's Tito, who you've already met." Oliver said, pointing over to the chihuahua who was scarfing on a hot dog.

Starla nodded. "Yeah...I remember him alright."

Oliver glanced back just in time to see Dodger approaching them with a brown afghan at his side. She was walking with her head leaning against his, and they were both smiling broadly. Something fishy was going on with them, Oliver thought. They were acting so...friendly. Not quite normal.

The two dogs pulled apart as they reached the two kittens, and Dodger motioned to Starla. "Rita, this is Oliver's friend Starla." he said.

Starla turned around. "Hi Rita. I'm Starla." she said.

Rita smiled sweetly at her. "Well aren't you adorable!" she exclaimed, playing with Starla's ribbon a little. "You know, it's about time we had another girl in the Gang!" she added in a hushed voice so only Starla could hear. The grey and white kitten giggled.

Dodger was watching this, heaving a happy sigh as he stared at Rita. Then suddenly, he was aware of whispering.

"Hey Dodge, what's up with you and Rita?" The whiteish brownish mutt looked down and saw Oliver glancing up curiously at him. He smiled a little and motioned for Oliver to follow him. "Come outside, kid, and I'll tell ya." he said.

Rita glanced back and saw Dodger leaving with Oliver, so she turned to Starla. "Hey girl, it's been ages since I talked with another girl. Let's go hang out and just talk." she said.

Starla nodded. "Ok! Sounds good! I mean, Georgette is a girl, but she never wants to talk...she doesn't even want to see me around." she said. The brown afghan laughed a little as she led Starla away from the rest of the Gang.

---

"So, you live with Oliver?" Rita asked awhile later, as she combed Starla's fur with her claws.

The grey and white kitten nodded. "Yeah. Oliver, Jenny, Georgette and their butler. Oliver, Dodger and Tito saved me from dying out on the streets." she said.

She noticed a dreamy look pass through Rita's face as she mentioned Dodger. "Hey, what's up with you and Dodger anyway? Are you two going out?" she asked.

The afghan nodded and blushed slightly. "Yeah." she admitted. "Is it really obvious?"

"A little.." Starla replied. Then she said "How long have you two been together?"

"At least a month..maybe longer." Rita said, trying to remember how long it had been.

Starla squealed at this. "Wow! Congratulations Rita!" she said happily.

This just made Rita's blush go deeper. "Thanks Starla." she said. Then she smiled. "You know, we should hang out like this more. It's not very often I get to talk with another girl." she said.

Starla nodded her head. "I know exactly how you feel." she said.

Rita suddenly looked curiously at her. "Starla, forgive me for asking this. But...Do you have a crush on Oliver?" she asked. "You seem to be at his side an awful lot."

Starla looked caught off guard by this question. "Huh? No...I don't like Oliver that way..He's just my best friend." she said, though she wasn't sure if this was entirely true or not.

Rita smiled slyly at the grey and white kitten. "Come on, Starla. If you do like him, you can tell me. I won't tell him."

Starla sighed. "Well..Ok. Maybe I might like Oliver a little. But I still really see him more as my best friend."

Rita laughed. "Ok. I was only asking."

Starla nodded her head. "Yeah, I only like him as a friend." she said.

_'I think...' _the kitten thought silently.

---

Back outside, Oliver was giving Dodger a curious look. "I saw you guys when you were nuzzling. What's going on?"

Dodger smiled, not even looking embarrassed as he spoke. "Kid, a lot has been going on since you went to go live with Jenny." he said. There was a small pause, then he resumed talking. "Rita and I have been hanging out a lot, and we've gotten really close."

"Yeah, I noticed." Oliver said under his breath.

"So we started talking about it, and we decided to get together. You know. Go on a date."

Oliver nodded, though he had a feeling he knew where this was going. Love. This kind of talk made him feel uneasy at times.

"So I took her out. We had such a great time together. She fell for me, and me...well, I'm head over paws for her too." Dodger said softly.

"So you two are...together now?" Oliver asked cautiously.

Dodger nodded. "That's right. The Dodge, once free and single, is now taken. Sorry ladies of NYC."

Oliver paused. "But...what if it doesn't work out?" he asked.

"Oh it'll work out. We've got a lot in common, and we're just good for each other. A perfect match." Dodger replied. He noticed that his kitten friend was looking uneasy. "What's the matter, kid?"

"Nothing." Oliver said. "I just...don't like talking about love a lot..It makes me uncomfortable." he added.

Dodger snickered. "Kid, I hate to break it to ya, but one of these days, you're gonna be falling for some girl yourself." he said.

Oliver's eyes widened. "What? Me? Like a..._girl_? No way Dodge! Not in a million years!"

Dodger gave a sly smile. "Mark my words. You'll meet some cutie and fall head over paws for her...Hey, I wouldn't be surprised if it was Starla. She's one cute kitten."

Oliver couldn't believe his ears! Him? Fall for his best friend?! "Not gonna happen, Dodge! Not gonna happen!" The kitten insisted.

Dodger sighed. "You say that now, kid, but you can't control love. It's a part of life..another thing you can't control." He paused and smirked as the orange kitten's face began to get red. "You _do_ like her, don't you?" he said.

Oliver quickly shook his head. "No! She's just my friend!" he said.

"Then why do you look so embarrassed?" Dodger teased.

"Because I...Because this is such an awkward discussion!" Oliver sputtered.

Dodger nodded his head, though he wasn't entirely convinced. "If you say so, kid, but I can tell you already like her. That's why you got so upset when she was in danger in the street earlier." he said.

Then, before Oliver could defend himself, the mutt added, "Let's go back inside, they might be wondering where I am."

"You mean _Rita's_ probably wondering where you are." Oliver corrected smugly.

Dodger said nothing as he ushered Oliver inside.

_'I don't like Starla! Not that way...Dodger's wrong. I was only worried for her earlier 'cause she's my friend! ...Right?'_ The orange kitten thought, a confused expression on his face as he followed Dodger back down into the boat.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Starla and Oliver stayed awhile longer, hanging around with the Gang. After awhile, Oliver turned to Starla.

"Hey Starla, I think we'd better start for home. It's getting to be late afternoon, and Jenny won't be gone much longer." he said.

The grey and white kitten nodded her head. "Ok, just let me say goodbye to someone."

She walked over to Rita. "Hey Rita. Oliver and I are going to head home. Talk to you soon?"

The brown afghan smiled at the small grey and white kitten. "Of course, sweetie. Maybe I'll come by your place one of these days. I know where you live, afterall."

Starla's face lit up at this. "Oh! I'd like that Rita! We could spend the whole day together! That is...until Jenny comes home from school." she said with a laugh.

"See ya later, kid." Rita said with a small wave as Starla turned and followed Oliver out of the boat.

---

"Oliver, are you sure this is the right way?" Starla asked nervously. She and Oliver were trudging along the streets of New York City, trying to get home.

Oliver blinked, apparently surprised. "Huh?" He did a double take and looked around. This place didn't seem too familiar. He had been thinking about his talk with Dodger.

The mutt's last words kept going through his head. _"You'll meet some cutie and fall head over paws for her...Hey, I wouldn't be surprised if it was Starla. I can tell you already like her. That's why you got so upset when she was in danger in the street earlier."_

This confused Oliver. Did he really like Starla as more than a friend? Had he been so lost in thought that he'd led Starla down the wrong alley, making them completely lost?

"Oliver?" Starla said again. She walked up in front of the orange kitten and waved a white paw in his face. "Hello in there! Anybody home?" she joked.

Oliver did yet another double take. He had zoned out again. That fast. "Uhh..what?" he asked, smiling sheepishly.

The grey and white kitten groaned in frustration. "I asked if you're sure we're going the right way." she repeated herself.

Oliver frowned. "Oh..I'm sorry, Starla. I think we're lost...and it's my fault. I'm so distracted right now that I think I led us down the wrong alley without even noticing it. I hope you're not too mad at me.." The orange striped kitten said, looking apologetic.

Starla paused, unsure how to answer. "Well...Ok. I'm not mad..." The cat paused, looking thoughtful. "Hmm..Hey what's distracting you so much, Oliver? You have been acting kinda strange around me since we left."

Oliver tried to pretend he didn't know what she meant. "How have I been acting strange?" he asked, doing his very best to look puzzled.

Starla sighed inwardly. "For starters...You won't let me walk by you. Everytime I walk at your side, you act nervous and walk faster so I'm behind you.."

Oliver hesitated. He knew that he wasn't letting her walk by him because of what Dodger had said earlier, but how could he tell Starla that? He still wasn't sure how he felt about her, and telling her about his conversation with Dodger would be sure to just make things worse.

The orange kitten sighed. He stared at the grey and white kitten as they stopped in another alley. "Starla, I-" he began, but was immediately shushed by his friend.

The striped kitten blinked. "What is it?" he asked, only to be shushed again. Oliver lowered his voice. "What's the matter, Starla?" the kitten whispered.

Starla's ears were up, her eyes wide and alert as she glanced around the alley, sniffing the air. "I...hear something." she whispered.

Oliver's fur stood up a little. What was it that Starla heard? Starla continued to listen, now hearing footsteps, which were coming toward her and Oliver. Her fur stood completely up in fear as she caught a whiff of an unmistakably familiar scent. Her eyes grew wide with fear as she turned to her stunned looking friend.

"Run!" she whispered, but Oliver just stayed rooted to the ground beside her. "Starla, what is it?" he asked.

All Starla said, however, was, "Something's coming...Run!"

Oliver glanced around. Run where? They were in an alley! Starla pointed to a small box nearby."Quickly, get in there!" she said.

Oliver blinked, and after a brief hesitation, hurried toward the box. The orange kitten skidded to a halt, as he glanced back and saw Starla, still standing where he'd left her. What was she thinking? "Starla, c'mon!" he called.

The grey and white kitten shook her head, but Oliver stubbornly ran back to her.

"Oliver, what are you doing?!" Starla cried as he grabbed her ribbon and dragged her to the box.

"Saving you from whatever you heard!" Was the orange kitten's reply, as he pushed Starla into the box. The grey kitten clumsily landed on her face. Oliver hurried into the box beside her.

Starla quickly got up and they peeked out through a small, narrow hole in the box. "Shhhh.." She warned Oliver, placing a paw to her mouth.

The orange kitten nodded shakily, just staring ahead from the box. What was coming?

His question was answered not even five seconds later, when two stray dogs, a black lab and a golden retriever, entered the alley. The lab an adult. The retriever appeared to be only a pup, maybe about a year old. They were talking loudly amongst themselves.

"Man, I'm starving, Rex. When are we gonna get ourselves somethin' to eat?" Complained the retriever.

The lab, who was walking ahead, suddenly turned without any warning, and pinned the golden retriever. "Whenever that cat returns with the chow!" he snarled. "Listen, and you listen good, Goldie! I'm getting very tired of your constant complaining! I know you come from a home, where food was given to you whenever you wanted, but those days are over, since you got kicked out!"

"But it's not fair...It wasn't my fault! The people I lived with moved and couldn't take me with them!" Goldie protested.

Rex growled furiously. "I don't care WHO's fault it was, nit wit! The point is, things don't work like that here on the streets. You have to work to get fed, instead of just going to a bowl and barking!" He paused. "You'd probably be long dead by now if I hadn't taken you in myself. But if I hear one more complaint from you, that's it. I'm gone, and you're on your own! Am I understood?"

The retriever shakily nodded his head. "Y-yes...I understand, Rex..I-I mean! Sir!"

The lab appeared satisfied with this, and he let Goldie back up. "Now come along. We've got to go find that cat. I fear she must have strayed off again...Hehehe."

Goldie scrambled quickly to his paws and dashed up next to Rex. "Yes sir!" he said.

The black lab rolled his eyes, but nodded to Goldie. "Let's go find that kitty!" he said.

The retriever stopped by the box Oliver and Starla were in. "...Rex..Do you smell that?" He sniffed the air. "It smells like our little friend...we must be getting close to her!"

Rex nodded, also sniffing the air. "Alright, let's keep moving. We'll find that cat sooner or later!"

Both the mutts took off down the alley, with Goldie calling out, "Here kitty, kitty, kitty!"

Oliver peeked out of the box, wide eyed after the two dogs were gone. A relieved smile spread across his face as he looked back at Starla. "Ok. They're gone." he said, getting out of the box.

The orange kitten looked puzzled when Starla made no attempt to get out of the box. "What's the matter? Ya' stuck in there? C'mon!"

Starla peeked out timidly, her ears flat and her head held low. Oliver frowned. He hadn't seen her like this since the day he'd brought her home!

"Are-are you sure they're gone?" Starla asked nervously.

Oliver nodded. "Uhhh..yeah. Pretty sure. They left that way, so as long as we don't follow suit, we won't run into them." he said. "I hope.." the orange kitten added under his breath softly.

Starla smiled unsurely at the kitten. "If you say so." she said, slowly coming out of the box. The grey kitten sat down and licked her paw, then rubbed her head. "What a shock...I'd forgotten about them..." she trailed off, talking more to herself than to Oliver.

Oliver looked at Starla, feeling more confused than he'd ever felt. "Starla..What do you mean? You've seen them before?"

Starla, realizing she'd said too much, shut her mouth and didn't say a word. But Oliver pressed her with more questions, determined to make Starla talk. "Starla, who are they? What do you mean when you say you forgot about them?"

Starla heaved a small sigh and shook her head. "Starla?" The grey kitten did a double take as she caught Oliver's gaze.

He was giving her a worried look. "What are you hiding from me? Starla...Please tell me what's going on."

Finally Starla could no longer contain herself, and she blurted the truth out.

"Oliver don't you see? _I'm_ the one those dogs were looking for!"


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Oliver's eyes widened and his ears flattened against his head as he stared in bewilderment at his friend.

"Huh?" he said in a small voice. "What do you mean, Starla?" The orange kitten gave Starla a small nudge when she didn't answer. "Starla, please. I'm confused. How are you the one those dogs were looking for?"

Starla heaved a deep sigh and turned to face Oliver. "Oliver, there's something you should know about me...Before I came to live with you and Jenny...I was in a gang. But it wasn't a nice one, like Dodger's. The members were me, Rex and Goldie, the two dogs you just saw. Though, I wasn't part of their gang by choice. They forced me to stay with them, and go uot every day to get them food. I only agreed because they said that if I refused, they'd kill me..."

She paused, giving Oliver time to let this sink in. The orange striped kitten looked stunned by this. "You were in a gang? With them??" he repeated, motioning back the way that Rex and Goldie had gone. Oliver stared at his friend in disbelief. How horrible to be forced to live with dogs who said such cruel things!

"Did they at least share the food with you?" Oliver asked. "I mean, it's the least they could do, since you're the one who always had to get it."

Starla shook her head. "Oliver, these dogs are bad animals...they didn't share a bite with me..Whenever I was hungry, I had to wait until they were asleep, then I'd go and eat whatever I could find in the alleys."

Oliver looked horrified by this. No wonder Starla had been so unhealthy when they met! She had been malnourished! "Starla...Why didn't you just run away?"

Starla hung her head. "I did. I tried several times. Over and over again. They always tracked me down and caught me. Then they bit me, and dragged me back with them."

Oliver's eyes grew even wider now, and he moved closer to his kitten friend, just in case those dogs should come back. _'I don't care if I'm only a small kitten!'_ Oliver thought, _'I'll give my life to make sure Starla stays free!' _ Oliver realized what he was thinking about, and frowned. _'There I go again...'I'm thinking about Starla too much again. What's wrong with me?!'_

Starla seemed to notice the confusion on the orange kitten's face, and she looked at him with deep concern. "Oliver..listen..I know this is a lot for you to grasp. So, if you can't accept me anymore, knowing this...I'll leave you alone. You and your family." she said.

Oliver shook his head, snapping back to reality. "Huh?" he mumbled.

Starla sighed. "I said, if this is too much for you to take in, I understand...I'll leave you and your family alone. I didn't really mind living on the streets before anyways." The kitten kicked a small pebble with a front paw, averting her gaze from Oliver.

The orange kitten was shocked at her words. Had she really just said she'd leave...to make him _happy_?! How could he be happy without her in his life? She was so wonderful, and the perfect friend to talk to whenever Jenny went to school. She made him feel happy and not so alone.

_'Stop thinking about Starla!'_ the orange kitten scolded himself silently. He was beginning to realize that maybe Dodger was right. His feelings for Starla seemed to be a little deeper than just a regular friendship...but there was no way he was going to tell her that!

Oliver glanced at Starla and sighed, closing his eyes, unable to look at her.

Starla, seeing that he wasn't saying anything, assumed that he agreed that she should leave. The grey and white kitten heaved a sigh and walked away, her ears flat against her head. "Goodbye Oliver." she said softly, barely above a whisper.

A few moments later, Oliver snapped back from his thoughts. He glanced around in a panic as he noticed his friend missing. "Starla?! Hey Starla! Where'd you go? Starla!" The orange striped kitten quickly got to his feet and ran off, unaware he was gonig the same direction his friend had gone.

_Oh well...' _Starla thought as she walked down the street, _'I guess it just wasn't meant to be...Maybe I'm destined to be a stray the rest of my life.' _

Feeling lost and unwanted, the grey and white kitten took off down an alley. Where she was going, Starla had no idea, but as long as she didn't run into Rex or Goldie, she didn't really care..

_---_

It had been an hour now, andOliver was still running down the streets, looking for Starla. He skidded to a sudden halt as he spotted her, digging in a trash can.

"What is she doing?" the orange kitten asked himself aloud, a confused, yet curious look on his face. "Only one way to find out." he answered himself. Oliver slowly approached Starla.

The grey and white kitten, hearing someone coming, jumped down from the trashcan and turned around. A brief look of surprise passed through her face as she saw Oliver.

"Oliver, what are you doing here?" she asked. "I thought you'd be home by now."

Oliver didn't answer, he just stared at her, an amused grin spreading across his face.

Starla saw this and looked at him frowning, appearing annoyed. "What?"

To her surprise, Oliver pointed at her. "You-uhh..have a banana peel on your head." Was his reply.

Starla blinked and glanced up. Sure enough, a yellow banana peel was on top of her head. The kitten reached up a white paw and swiped the peel off her head, blushing slightly.

"What are you doing here?" she repeated, once she'd fixed the fur on her head. "I thought you'd have gone home by now."

Oliver looked puzzled by this. "No way! Not without you. Why'd you run off like that anyways?" he asked.

Now it was Starla's turn to look puzzled. "I thought you wanted me to leave...when you didn't answer me I got the hint you didn't want me around anymore so I just..left."

A sad frown appeared on Oliver's face. "No, you got it all wrong, Starla. Sure, it's a shock to hear you were in a gang with such bad characters, but that doesn't mean I don't want you around!"

Not sure what he was doing, Oliver wrapped his paws around Starla's neck. "I don't want you out of my life, Starla...Please come home!"

"...Oliver...you're...crushing me..."

The orange kitten's eyes widened and he let go of the grey kitten. "Whoops, sorry!" he stammered, "I don't know what came over me. Hehe..."

Starla gave him a weird look, but then she shrugged. "Ok. Oliver..if you really mean what said, I'll come back with you."

"Yes! Thank you!" Oliver said with a relieved sigh.

Starla smiled, feeling happier than she was letting on about going back with Oliver. "Alright, let's go."

Oliver glanced around, and his face lit up. "Hey wait a minute...I know this street!" he exclaimed. "Home's not too far off. C'mon!"

Starla quickly followed behind her friend. Sure enough, they were in front of the mansion they called home in less than ten minutes.

Oliver stood by the cat door. "After you, Starla." he said.

The grey and white kitten smiled, and walked inside.

"I just hope Jenny's not home yet.." Oliver mumbled as he also went inside.


End file.
